The Baal Tshuva: A 12 Step Program to Becoming a Better Jew and Person
Gd willing the purpose of these essays is to use the 12 Torah verses the Lubavitcher Rebbe had asked to be memorized as a 12 step program for self improvement and to show a connection with them and the "Twelve Steps" approuch to life.
It is dedicated to the upcoming 20th Yartziet of the Rebbe on the 3rd of Tammuz and the safe and immediate release of the three captive jewish boys in Arab hands.
Memorizing these passages,as the Rebbe asked when this was first proposed he said, will help for added protection for Jews and the Land of Yisroel.
To get a complete list of the twelve passages go to www.chabad.org or any local chabad in your area.
Step 1 : "We admitted that we were powerless ...that our lives had become unmanageable".
Step 1 : Torah
Passage 1 : "Torah Tzivah Lonu Moshe Moroshoh Kehilas Yaakov"- " The Torah that Moses commanded us is the heritage of the congregation of Jacob." ( Deut. 33.4)
Now, to connect the 12 passages with the 12 Steps.
In the 12 Step approach to life, the first step is:
Step 1 : "We admitted that we were powerless ...that our lives had become unmanageable".
In order for the person to over come his or her self destructive conduct , they must admit that they have a problem and are powerless to help themselves with it.
That the problem is such that they cannot manage without outside help.
To recognize that they are powerless in the face of that issue.
To stop rationolizing the problem or deny it .
Only then can they bring their problem under control and continue to live life.
Comparing this to the first step of becoming a better Jew we look at the first passage : " The Torah that Moses commanded us is the heritage of the congregation of Jacob." ( Deut. 33.4)
Why did the Rebbe choose this passage as the first of the 12 ?
I belive it is because it teaches the first step of yiddishkeit; "Nasa V'nishma" - "We will do and then understand". That Torah is not a "suggestion" or a "recommendation" it is a "command"
To be a Jew we must accept the Torah not as something we "manage" or have "control" over but rather to act as if we are "helpless", total surrender to it , a higher and outside power above and indpendant of us and our minds
We must accept completly the Torah, as if we are helpless to change it.
Let's us look at the Torah commentaries on the verse of "Torah" to see if this idea of total acceptance of Torah is there, gd willing.
Rashi explains: " it is an inheritance to the congregation of jacob , we will hold on to it and not abandon it".
Its not only for the tribe of levites or a segment of Jews.
The Ramban explains : "Jews will always say its is our inheritance and we will insure it will transmitted to future generation.also it belongs to "kehelas-conregation" of Jacob , not "house" or "seed" of Jacob.
Meaning the Torah, belongs to converts and other who will join the Jews as well.
The Baal Haturim explains: "that to insure it lasts it must be transmited in "congregations" groups gathered together to study it ".
The Even Ezra explains : " To transmit to every generation that the Torah we have is the exact Torah we received from Moshe Rabbenu".
However for our purpose let's us review the comments of the Orach Chaim Hakodosh , he writes : " We accept it...as a "tziva" a command to us ...as the strength of a Kings order. That the Torah rules over us and by its word will exist".
The Orach Chaim explains that this verse is being spoken by, "Am Yisroel- The Jewish Nation " not by Moshe.
The are reafirming that they accept the Torah. They are saying it is our inheritance and must be obeyed like a command !
The Torah is not a "suggestion" or a "recommendation" it is a "command".
To recognize that the Torah we recived from Moses is from Gd and is a commandment to us which we accepted as our inheritance.
We are "powerless" to change the Torah or "manage it" to our liking.
We are powerless in trying to create our own laws of life and even entirely understand the Torah we received.
It is a Divine and G-dly command!
Yet it belongs to every Jew and regardless of his own achievement or self worth.
See Lekutie Sichos or the Rebbe volume thirteen page 115 discussing why we use the word "inheritance" for Torah here instead of "sell- aqusition" or "gift".
So we learnt how the first step and passage of " Torah Tziva" teaches us the First Step for becoming a better Jew and Person Gd willing:
That:
A) The Torah Moses gave us is from Gd.
B) It is a transcends logic and must be obeyed even when not understood.
C) It belongs to all of Jews regardless of where they find themselves to be.
D) Gd does have the ability to communicate His will to man and did so.
Summary :
A Jew and human being must know that life was not created in a vacuum. Gd did give us guidance for life. It is called the torah. He revealed it to us through Moses the greatest prophet who ever lived. Hence there can be no doubt to its truth. It belongs to all Jews ; meaning all of us have been given the power to study implement it. To live Torah, practice grow in the divine plan and bring it to fruition.
Exercise:
Review verse by heart and preferable say or meditae before studying or practice of a mitzvah or anytime.
Sources and Commentaries; Chumash, Rashi, Ramban,Even Ezra, Orach Chaim, Baal HaTurim and Lekutie Sichos
